Power-actuated system of switch control



G. B. GRAY AND A. G. WILLIAMSON. H. F. GRAY, EXECUTRIX. or s. B. GRAY. DEC'D.

'POWER ACTUATED SYSTEM OF SWITCH CONTROL.

' APPLICATLON FILED APR. 12.1915. 1,377,200. Patented May 10,1921.

2 SHEETS- SHEET I.

Q- & anuenfow' e. B. GRAY AND A. e. WILLIAMSON; H. F. GRAY. EXECUTRlX'. 0F G.-B. GRAY, DEQ'DM POWER ACTUATED' SYSTEM OF SWITCH CONTROL. A'PPLICATIION FILED APVRJIZ. I916.

'rorrics.

GARDNER B. GRAY AND ABBA G. VILLIAMSGN, 0F PE'ITSBUBGH, PENNSYLVANIA;

HELEN F. GRAY EXECUTRIX OF. SAID GARDNER- B. GRAY, DECEASED; SAID EXECU- TRIX AND SAID WILLIAMSON ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO PITTS- BURGH TRAIN CONTROL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF DELAWARE.

IPOWER-ACTUATED SYSTEM OF SVTITOH CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 10, 1921.

Application filed April 12, 1916. Serial No. 90,666.

switches and signals are moved by manual power, the present practice is to perform the switch locking function by means of a switch and lock movement, that is, by a device in which the same operating means which moves the switch also looks and unlocks the switch. In the best mechanical interlocking plants there has been developed what is known as the facing point lock which has come to be generally recognized 'as a safer and more reliable locking means erating means in the switch machine.

In mechanical interlocking plants the use of facingpoint locks has required an addi-' tional lever in the tower machine. In carrying out the present invention which is embodied in a power actuated'system, a.

single control member, or lever, in the tower is arranged to control both ofthe operating unites (in the switch machine. Thus. the simple, slngle controlling member the tower whlch is typical of prior power interlocking systems has been retained, and combined with the multipleunit switch machine which is characteristicof mechanical interlocking plants.

In application Serial No. 832,722, filed April 18, 1914, which has matured into mg means separate and distinct from the Patent No. 1,198,021 of September 12, 1916, was disclosed a power actuated switch control system in which the switch machine was made up of two units with a plurality of manually operable members at the tower for controlling the operation of the switch machine units. This system was found to be more reliable than power actuated switch systems heretofore in use, but in the present application there is disclosed a' system in which the plurality of units comprising the switch. machine are controlled by a single manually operable control member at the tower.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general diagrammatic View of a preferred form of the invention with the control lever in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a general diagrammatic view of another preferred form of the invention with the control lever in reverse position.

ilre reference characters designate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. l, pair of circuit controllers 1 and 2 leasing magnet 7 at the completion of the locking function at the switch. I

in the apparatus constituting the switch machine, the motor 3 operates through the shaft 9 and transmission mechanism 10 and 11 to move the; switch throw rod 18. circuit controller 12 is adapted to be actuated by the motor shaft9 through the cam 9 and lever 4 A locking solenoid 13 is arranged to lock the motor shaft and, hence, the switch throw rod against movement under certain conditions of operation and to operate a circuit controller 14-.

I a That portion of the switch machine which i has for a function the locking and unlocking of the switch lock rod has for an operating means the double-wound solenoid 15, the

plunger core 16 of which carries the locking lu 17 into and out of lockin en a ement C) D b with the lock rod 18. The core 16 also operates a circuit controller 19 and the return current generator 20 which generates current for the operation of the polarized relay 6 at the tower. An auxiliary locking solenoid 21 is adapted to lock the core of the solenoid against movement under certain conditions of operation and to actuate the circuit controller 22."

In order to actuate the switch operating mechanism the control lever at the tower is moved from a position at one end of the quadrant to a position at the opposite end of the quadrant. The first step in the operation, that of unlocking the switch lock rod, is accomplished by lifting thelatcli out of engagement with the notch in the quadrant. The second step in the operation, that of moving the switch, is brought about by the movement of the control lever to indication position at the opposite end of the quadrant with the latch dropped half way down. This step is immediately followed by the relocking of the switch lock rod while the control lever is still in indication posi-- tion, whereupon the return current generator is actuated to energize the polarized relay and release the control lever latch to permit the completion of the movement from normal or reverse indication to full normal or reverse position.

Thus it will be seen that in the cycle of unlocking, moving and relocking the switch the two operating means at the switch machine are caused to be alternately opera-t d by the movement of a single control lever in the tower machine from one end of its quadrant to the other, and that a release magnet at the tower is energized at the completion of the relocking operation at the switch machine to permit the completion oi the movement of the control lever latch.

The control lever 5 at the tower is of a well-known construction, in which the latch handle 23 is mechanically connected to the latch to lift the same from the notches at "the ends of the quadrant 24. The rocker 25 is pivoted at 26 to the quadrant and has a curved slot 27 in which a lug 28 on the latch pro ects so that when the latch is ralsed or lowered the rocker is tilted on its pivot to actuate the circuit controller 1 through the rod 29 and the interlocking shaft 8 between this and a signal or other lever through the shaft 30. The shaft 30 is connected to one end of the rocker 25, through the arm 31 and the universal link 32. The opposite end of the shaft 30 carries the usual indication quadrant 33 with which cooperates the latch 34 controlled by the releasing magnet 7 already referred to.

In the operation of moving the track switch from the normal position, in whi h trains are directed along the main track, to reverse position, in which trains are diverted to a branch track, the control lever at the tower is moved from the normal position shown in F 1 to the reverse position at the opposite end of the quadrant. As a preliminary to such movement, the latch carried by the control lever must be lifted out of the notch at the right-hand end of the quadrant 24. The movement of the latch will, through the engagement of the lug with the slot 27, cause the rocker 25 to tilt on its pivot so that the left-hand end of the rocker will move the rod 29 downwardly.

The movement of the rod 29 serves to carry the contact lug 35 into bridging engagement with the contact springs 36 and 37 of the circuit controller 1. The result of this is the establishing of a circuit that will energize the locking solenoid 13 in the switch machine to lock the switch throw rod against movement as a preliminary to and during the operation of the switch un locking means. This circuit may be traced from the battery 38, to conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, contact spring 36, corn tact lug 35, contact spring 37 conductor 42, conductor 43, locking solenoid 13, conductor 44, to common return conductor 45 and back to battery.

The en'ergization of the solenoid 13 will not only look the motor shaft 9 against operation but it will also actuate the circuit controller 14 and move the contact lug 46 thereon into bridging engagement with the contact springs 47 and 48. This will close a shunt circuit through the unlocking coil 49 of the double-wound solenoid as fol lows: conductor 42, unlocking coil 49, conductor 50, contact spring 51 of circuit controller 19, contact lug 52, contact spring 53, conductor 54, contact spring 48 of circuit controller 14, contact lug 46, contact spring 47, conductor 55, and common return conductor 45. It will be noted that current is still flowing to the locking solenoid 13, and that the movement of the circuit controller 19 does not affect the locking solenoid which can'be released from locking condition only by the operation of the circuit controller at the tower.

In order to effect the next step in the op eration, that is, the actual moving of the switch, the control lever at the tower ismoved to the reverse indication position. The dropping of the lever latch part way into the notch at the left-hand end of the quadrant causes a still further lowering of the rod 29 of the circuit controller 1 which carries the contact lug 56 into bridging engagement with the contact springs 57 and 58 and at the same time breaks the circuit through the locking solenoid 13 by moving contact lug 35 out of bridging engagement with contacts 36 and 37 and into bridging engagement with contacts 152 and 153. The movement of the control lever from the right to the left-hand end of the quadrant pulls the link 59 connected to the lever 5 so as to turn the bell crank lever 60 about its fulcrum and raise the rod 61 of the circuit controller 2. The upward movement of the rod 61 carries the contact lug 62 thereon into bridging engagement with the contact springs 63 and 64. The circuit controllers 1 and 2 are now in a position to close a circuit between the tower and the switch ma chine as follows: battery 38, conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, contact spring 57 of circuit controller '1, contact lug 56, contact spring 58, conductor 65, contact spring 63 of circuit controller 2, contact lug 62, contact spring 64, conductor 66, contact spring 67 of circuit controller 12, contact lug 68, contact spring 69, conductor 70, magnet 71 of reverse transmission mechanism 10,

conductor 72, auxiliary locking solenoid 21,.

conductor 73, and common return conductor 45 back to battery. The energization of the magnet 71 will actuate the reverse transmission mechanism 10 to cause the reverse movement of the switch.

The energization of the locking solenoid 21 as a preliminary to the actual movement of the switch would look the plunger of the solenoid 15 against movement by the engagement of the locking member 74 with the notch 75 in the plunger 16, if the unlocking operation had not previously taken place in its natural order. I The energization of the locking solenoid 21 serves also to actuate the circuit controller 22 by carrying the; contact lug 7 6' therein into brid ingengagement with the contact springs 77 and 78. This closes a shunt circuit through the motor 3 as follows: conductor 72, conductor 72, motor .3, conductor 79, contact spring 80 of circuit controller 19, contactlug 81 which was moved into engagement with the contact springs 80 and 82 in the movement of the plunger 16 to unlock the switch, contact spring 82, conductor 83, contact spring 77 of circuit controller 22, contact lug 76, contact spring 78, conductor 84, and common return conductor 45 back to battery.

The motor will now operate through a crank connection with the throw rod 18" to -throw the track switch from normal to reverse position and in so doing will, through the connection between the motor shaft 9 and the circuit controller 12, actuate the circuit controller 12 to carry the contact 87." This will close a circuit through the locking coil 100 of the double-wound soleno-id 15 as follows: battery 38, conductor 39,

bus bar 40, conductor 41, contact spring 57, contact lug 56, contact spring 58, conductor 65, contact spring 63, contact lug 62, contact spring'64, conductor 66, contact spring 86, of circuit controller 12, contact lug 85, contact spring 87, conductor 88, contact spring 89,

tor 104, conductor105, to common return conductor 45 and back to battery.

It will be noted that the operation of lockingthe switch immediately succeeds the operation of moving the switch, both operations taking place while the control lever is in reverseindication position. Now in the movement of the plun er 16 to locking position the contact lug 97 of circuitcontroller 19 was carried out of engagement with the contact springs 96 and 98 thus breaking the circuit between the tower and the locking coil 100 of the switch. machine. f

In order to cause the current generator at the switch machine to generate current to control the releasing mechanism at the tower, the movement of the plunger 16 of the solenoid 15 to lockingposition is made further use of. The rotor of the current generator 20 is connected through a crank 106 with the plunger 16 so thatthe reciprocation of theplunger will transmit motion,

to the rotor to generate a current impulse. Previous to this the pole changer 107 will beactuated througha mechanical connection suchas the pins 107 with the switch lock rod so that the-contacts will be shifted to the position opposite that shown in Fig. 1. The current impulse produced by the current generator will thereupon take the following path: generator 20, conductor. 108, contact 109, conductor 110, contact spring 111 of circuit controller 14, contact lug 46,

contact spring 112, conductor 113, contact spring 114 of circuit controller 2 at the tower, contact lug 115, contact spring 116, conductor 117, coil 118 of polarized relay 6, conductor 119, contact spring 120, contact lug 121, contact spring 122, conductor 123,

contact 124, and conductor 125 back to the generator. I

The current flowingover this circuit will flow through the coil 118 in the proper direction to cause the armature 126 of the relayto move to theleft and engage the conv tacts 127 and 128 to close a circuit through the holding coil 129 of the relay and through the releasing magnet 7 This circuit may be traced'as follows: battery 38, conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, contact spring 130 of circuit controller 1, contact lug 131, contact spring 132, conductor 133, releasing magnet 7, conductor 134, contact 127, armature 126, contact 128, holding coil 129, conductor 117 conductor 105, and common return conductor 45 back to battery.

The latch of the control lever 5 being thus released will now fully descend into the notch in the quadrant and tilt the rocker 25 to operate the interlocking mechanism 8 controlled from the shaft 30. The purpose of having the releasing circuit flowthrough the holding coil 129 of the polarized relay is to hold the armature against the contacts 127 and 128 after current from the impulse generator 20 has ceased to flow in order to allow sufficient time for the mechanism controlled by the release magnet 7 to act.

The operation of moving the track switch from reverse to normal position is performed in a similar manner but, since different contacts on the circuit controllers are made use of, the operation will now be briefly described. The lifting of the latch with the control lever in full reverse position will carry the contact lug 35 up into engagement with the contact springs 36 and 37 to establish an unlocking circuit identical with the one already described in connection with the operation of moving the switch to reverse position. The circuit for the next operation, the moving of the switch is, however, somewhat different. In the normal indication position 01: the control lever the wide contact lug 102 of the circuit controller 1 engages with the lower edges of the contact springs 57 and 58. In the circuit controller 2 the contact lug 62 is in bridging engagement with the contact springs 136 and 137 while in the circuit controller 12 at the switch machine the contact lug 138 is in bridging engagement with the contact springs 139 and 140, having been placed in this position by the operation of the motor in moving the switch to reverse position. A circuit will accordingly be established as follows: battery 38, conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, contact spring 57, contact lug 102, contact spring 58, conductor 65, contact spring 136, contact lug 62, contact spring 137, conductor 141, contact spring 139, contact lug 138, contact spring 140, conductor 142, magnet 143, of the normal transmission mechanism 11, conductor 72 and thence to the safety or auxiliary locking solenoid 21 and conductor 73 to the common return conductor 45. Current from the conductor 72 will also flow through branch conductor 72, motor 3, conductor 79, contact spring 80, contact lug 81, contact spring 82,

conductor 83, contact spring 77, contact lug 76, contact spring 78 and conductor 84 back to common return conductor 45.

The consequent actuation of the circuit controller 12 by the operation of the motor 3 will move the contact lug 144 to the right into engagement with the contact springs 145 and 146. This will establish a locking circuit which may be traced as follows: from battery 38, conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, spring 57, contact 102, spring 58, conductor 65, spring 136, contact 62, spring 137, conductor 141, spring 145, contact 144, spring 146, conductor 88, spring 89, contact 90, spring 91, conductor 92, spring 93, contact 94, spring 94, conductor 95, spring 96, contact 97, spring 98, conductor 99, solenoid 100, conductor 42, spring 153, contact 56, spring 152, conductor 104, conductor 105 and return back to battery 38. The movement of the plunger 16 to locking position will, as before, break the locking circuit and the movement of the lock rod 18 will again re verse the position of the pole changer 107 to bring it to the position shown in Fig. 1. The pole changer comprising the four pairs of spring contacts and the two lower contact lugs of the controller 2 has also had its position reversed so that the sum of the two reversals will send current through the polarized relay 6 in the same direction as before over the following circuit: generator 20, conductor 108, contact 109, conductor 123, contact spring 147, contact lug 115, con tact spring 148, conductor 117, coil 118, of polarized relay 6, conductor 119, contact spring 149, contact lug 121, contact spring 150, conductor 113, contact spring 112, con

tact lug 46, contact spring 111, conductor 110, contact 124 and conductor 125 back to the generator. The polarized relay will again close the samecircuit as before to actuate the releasing magnet 7 except that the contact lug 151, instead of thecontact lug 1 1 of the circuit controller 1, will bridge the contact springs 130 and 132. The control lever will now assume full normal position. v

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the two circuit controllers of Fig. 1 are combined into a single controller 1 which is actuated through the rod 29 connected to the rocker 25. The contacts are so arranged and designated in this view as to correspond with Fig. 1 so that the circuits whi h have been traced in the description of the operation of the device shown in Fig. 1 can also be traced on Fig. 2. The general operation of the two devices is identical, the combining of the two circuit controllers serving merely to secure greater compactness and simplicity in the devices constituting the tower machine.

In either form of the invention it will be observed that the current in the locking circuit flows back to the controller 1 over the same conductor 42 over which current flows to unlock the switch. By this arrangement the unlocking coil 49 of the solenoid 15 is sate-guarded against a false operation, since any current that might find 1ts way to the conductor 42 through a cross, or otherwise, would be short-circuited through the controller 1 or 1 either by way of the contact springs 103 and 101, or the contact springs 152 and 153. Thus it will be seen that in either the normal or the reverse position of the control lever, the conductor 42 is short-circuited through the circuit controller by one or the other of the sets of contacts named. This arrangement incidentally checks up the condition of the contact springs 103-101 and 152153. The locking solenoid 13 of the switch machine is permanently connected to the conductor 42 so that whenever current is flowing over the conductor the motor shaft is locked to prevent movement of the switch points.

The return current generator 20 is made up of a permanent horseshoe magnet with a drum-wound armature. The armature is arranged to be given a quarter turn by the movement of the lock solenoid plunger 16 to generate an impulse to energize the polarized relay 6. The polarity of this impulse is such as to move the armature 126 of the polarized relay into engagement with the contacts 127 and 128 only when the plunger 16 is being moved to locking position.

It is to be noted that one side of the polarized relay coils is connected to the common return wire 45. By this arrangement the possibility of a cross or ground, causing a false indication is obviated. For instance, should the conductor 66 leading from the tower to the switch machine make contact with the conductor 113 leading to the positive side of the generator 20 in the reverse indication position of the control lever, the

Y polarized relay 6 would not cause the operation of the release magnet 7 because the coil 118 of the relay 6 would be short-circuited. The circuit resulting from the conductor 66 making contact with conductor 113 over which this curent flows is as follows: battery 38, conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, contact spring 57, contact lug 56, contact spring 58, conductor 65, contact spring 63, contact lug 62, contact spring 64, conductor 66, through the cross with conductor 113 along conductor113, contact spring 114, contact lug 115, contact spring 116, conductor 117, conductor 105, and common return 45 back to battery.

On the other hand, a cross or ground between a conductor leading from the tower and the conductor leading from the positive side of the generator will short-circuit the relay 6 so that in this case also the release magnet 7 cannot be operated. A resulting circuit arising through such; a condition would be as follows: battery 38, conductor 39, bus bar 40, conductor 41, contacts 57 56, 58, conductor 65, contacts 63, 62, 64, conductor 66, through the ground on conductor 123, to contact 109, to conductor 108, generator 20, conductor 125, contact 124, conductor 110, contacts 111, 46, 112, conductor 113, con- 'tacts 114, 115, 116, conductor 117, conductor 105, and common return conductor 45 back to battery. A second circuit resulting from the condition described would form a branch to the circuit just traced as follows: point of contact of conductor 66 with conductor 123; along conductor 123, to contact spring 122, contact lug 121, contact spring 120, con- 'ductor 119, coil 118 of relay 6, conductor 117, conductor 105, to common return conductor 45, and back to battery. Thus as a result of a cross between the conductors 66 and 123, the coil 118 of the relay 6 will be partially short-circuited, and what current is available to flow through this coil will flow in such a direction as to fail to move the polarized armature into engagement with the contacts 127 and 128. With the switch and i the lever'in a normal position, a similar action would take place except that the conductors 113 and 123 would occur in reversed order in tracing the resulting circuits.

What is claimed is:

1. A system of switch control comprising: a switch, a switch machine including a plurality of power units for unlocking, moving and locking the switch, and a single manually operable lever movable in opposite directions for controlling the power units by a plurality of movements in either direction. 2. A system of switch control comprising: a switch, a switch machine including a plurality of power units for unlocking, moving and locking the switch by stages, and a. single manually operable lever movable in opposite directions and by stages in each direction for controlling the power units.

3. A system of switch control comprising: a switch, a switch machine including a plus rality of power units for unlocking, moving and locking the switch, a single manually operable lever movable 'in opposite directions and by a plurality of movements in either direction for controlling the power units, and means controlled by said operating lever for preventing simultaneous actuation of said power units.

4. A system of switch control comprising a switch, a switch machine including a plurality of power units for unlocking, moving and locking the switch, a single manually operable lever for controlling the power units, and means for lockingone of said unit's against operation while the other is operating.

5. A system of switch control comprising: a switch, a switch'machine including a unit for moving the switch, a unit for unlocking and locking the switch, and a single lever movable in opposite directions and by a plurality of movements in either direction for operating said units in alternation.

6. A system of switch control comprising:

a switch machine including a plurality of power units for unlocking, moving and lock ing the switch together with means for preventing the simultaneous operation of said units, and a tower machine including a single manually operable member movable in opposite directions and by a plurality of movemcnts in either direction for controlv1mg the operation of the plurality of units of the switch machine.

7. A system of switch control comprising: a switch machine including a plurality of power units for unlocking, moving and locking the switch, a manually operable control member movable in opposite directions and by a plurality of movements in either direction which, when actuated by the operator, will sequentially supply power to operate the plurality of power units of the switch machine, means for holding said control member against complete operation, and means controlled by the switch machine for releasing said control member to admit of? its movement being completed.

8. A system of switch control comprising: a pluralityot power units for unlocking, moving and locking the switch, means for controlling said power units, and means whereby the switch moving power unit an tomatically supplies power to actuate the switch locking unit at the completion of an operation of said switch moving unit.

9. A system of switch control comprising: switch operating means, controlling means therefor, means for holding the controlling means against operation, means controlled by the switch operating means for releasing the holding means, and means for prolonging the period during which the holding means are being held released.

10. A system of switch control comprising: switch operating means, controlling means therefor, means for holding said controlling means against operation, a magnet for releasing said holding means, a relay controlled by the switch operating means and in turn controlling the releasing magnet, and a holding coil included in said relay.

11. A system of switch control comprising: switch operating means, controlling means therefor, means for holding the controlling means against operation, a releasing magnet for said holding means, a relay controlled by said switch operating means and in turn controlling the releasing magnet, and a holding coil on said relay in series with the releasing magnet to maintain said relay energized until the controlling means have completed their operation.

12. A system of switch control comprising: electrically actuated means for moving a switch, electrically actuated means for locking the switch, a circuit for each of said means, a manually operable member movable in opposite directions and by a plurality oi movements in either direction for closing the circuit through such switch moving means to actuate the same, and means actuated by the movement of said switch moving means for closin the circuit through said locking means.

13. A system of switch control comprising: switch moving means, switch locking means, auxiliary means for locking said switch moving means against operation while said locking means is acting, a circuit for each or" said means, manually operable control means for establishing a circuit through said switch locking means and said auxiliary locking means, and means at the switch for breaking the circuit through said locking means only at the completion of an operation thereof, the auxiliary locking means continuing to lock the switch moving means against operation until the manually operable control means is manipulated.

14. A system of switch control comprisin g: switch moving means, switch unlocking means, auxiliary means for looking said switch moving means against operation, manually operable control means movable to successively actuate said auxiliary locking means, said switch unlocking means and said switch moving means, means at the switch for cutting oil the control exercised ,y said manually operable means over said unlocking means at the end of theunlocking operation, the auxiliary locking means re maining in locking condition until said manually operable control means has been moved to actuate said switch moving means.

15. An electrical control for a railroad track section, comprising a motor adapted to unlock said track section, a limit switch to arrest said motor after a predetermined period of operation, another motor adapted to move said track section, means controlled by said limit switch for starting said last named motor after said track section is unlocked, and means for closing a circuit and starting said first named motor in a reverse direction to lock said track section in a new position.

Signed at Pittsburgh in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, this 10th day of April, 1916.

GARDNER B. GRAY. ABBA G. WILLIAMSON. Witnesses MAX H. SRoLovrrz, A. E. GRAY. 

